TO SAIL ON THE AIR
_________________________TWO SCHEMES OF WESTERN MEN
FOR AERIAL NAVIGATION
______________________________

Flying Machine of Octave Chanute on
the Principles of Bird Flight - Plan of
W.W.McEwen, the Parachutist, to Ascend
on a Mammoth Rocket - He will Go Up
Like a Bullet from a Gun - Outline of His
Theory - Wings Automatically Regulated.

Flying machines are the order of the day. For a number of years there has been considerable
investigation along the line of aerial navigation, but until recently the great
difficulty has been experienced that the flying machines would not fly. Beginning,
however, with Maxim and his adaptation of the aeroplane, it would seem that a new
state of affairs had come to pass, and that the right track had been hit upon at
last. Of late several machines have been brought forward, most of them of the aeroplane
type and nearly all of them give promise of a fair share of ultimate success. Two
of the latest ideas come from the West, and have Chicago as their center of operation.

The design of these has already been described by
THE TRIBUNE. It is the airship invented by Octave Chanute, former President
of the Society of Engineers. In it the principles derived from a study of the flight
of birds, the line along which there seems the greatest likelihood of success in
aerial navigation, have been closely followed, and Mr. Chanute believes that he
has mastered and successfully applied these.

At first glance the Chanute airship looks very much like a ship with
all sails spread. There is a resemblance to a ship, too, in the details. The frame
which supports a man, is of willow and spruce, shaped in a general way like a canoe,
save that there is a greater curvature of deck plane and keel. Made as it is, this
frame is light, though rigid to a degree, and sufficiently strong to support a man
above the average weight.

Extending from the boat shaped frame there are six pairs of wings.
The ribs for these are of willow covered with a light silk, saturated in a preparation
of gum cotton, sufficiently strong to prevent penetration by either water or air.
Each wing is curved on a parabola of one-twelfth of its width of two feet, and each
is seven feet long, thus furnishing a surface of something over fifteen feet square.
The outside ends of the wings are connected with a width of prepared silk, acting
as a keel to the airship.

Wings Automatically Regulated

The chief improvement over other airships, however, is found in the automatic
regulation of the wings, by which they are kept at an angle with the plane of the
air current. If upon exhaustive experiment the regulator acts as it has in the early
trials it is believed that the question of navigating the air has been is settled,
at least such are the claims of the inventor. The propelling of a ship through the
air has never occasioned great trouble; it is the sustaining it and carrying it
in the face of the wind which have bothered the inventors. Large birds will suddenly
turn and sail off in the very teeth of a strong wind without a movement of the wings,
and the obtaining of the same power in an airship has been the dream of inventors.
This Mr. Chanute believes has been accomplished by its automatic regulator.

The experiments which have been carried out seem to show that in a great measure
success has been achieved. They have also showed the weak points in the present
construction, and suggested improvements in the apparatus for the better carrying
out of the principles which has been proved correct. The experiments are being made
on the southern shore of Lake Michigan, near Miller, Ind. Though but little more
than thirty miles from Chicago, the sandy stretch chosen is almost a wilderness
and no better place could be found for the avoiding of publicity. Mr. Chanute with
A.M. Herring, William Paul and William Avery, all aeronauts of considerate expertise
went to this place, taking with them the machine constructed for the experiments.
The machine itself was 14 feet in width, 15 feet in length, and weighed 36 pounds.

Experiments a Success

The first experiment was made without the use of a propeller or motor of any sort,
and simply for the investigation of "bird flight" as applied to airships. Mr. Avery
ran along the crest of a hill with the machine, and then jumping out into the air,
governed the apparatus in the wind gusts. The first flight carried the operator
fifty feet, he being at the times never less than two feet above the ground. This
was considered an astounding result, considering that absolutely no motive power
beyond the wind was used, and it demonstrated that the idea of the automatic regulator
was correct in principle.

After that first skim the two assistants of Mr. Chanute made between 150 and 200
jumps all without the slightest accident, either to themselves ore the machine.
These jumps varied in length from 50 to 100 feet, and each one proved beyond the
question of a doubt that the apparatus is perfectly manageable, automatically stable,
strong enough in every part and capable of aspirating, under proper conditions,
in high altitudes.

As the result of his experiments Mr. Chanute sets up the claim that
he has proven that the element of safety has been secured, and he considers it almost
as valuable as other proven conditions that his machine can make way against the
wind and cross currents.

Up with a Rocket

The other flying machine, brought out be a western man is the work of W. W. McEwen
of Jackson, Mich. It is the most audacious idea advanced since Mark Twain invited
his friends to jump of the Alps with an open umbrella for a parachute, but it is
the result, Mr. McEwen claims, of long study of existing conditions and is planned
on a strictly scientific basis. It is nothing less than an ascent by rocket, sixty
feet in length, Mr. McEwen proposes to go up into the clouds in a few seconds, after
which, deserting the rocket for a parachute, he will descend slowly. To the average
mind this latter part appears to be doubtful, but the inventor professes absolute
confidence in his scheme, and declares that he will undertake the ascent without
fear of a hurried drop at the end.